ense of a criminal case would, in the
event of conviction, almost always get a shorter term for their clients
from a jury or from the court, or even from the prosecutor, than from
the parole board. I feel strongly that the board is too timid and
unwilling to grant paroles. Still in spite of this there can be no doubt
that the parole law is a step in the right direction, and it should be
upheld by all who believe offenders should have a better chance. If
human nature in the administration of law could be relied on; if there
were some method of getting men of courage and capacity with plenty of
competent aid and assistance to take charge of paroles and prisons, then
the ideal sentence should be one that fixed no time whatever. It should
simply leave a prisoner for study and observation until it was thought
wise and safe to release him from restraint. This like all the rest
could not be done with the present public attitude toward criminals. So
long as men subscribe to the prevailing idea of crime and punishment, no
officials could stand up against public opinion in the carrying out of a
new and radical theory, and even if such a board should be established,
the law under which it acted would soon be repealed or the members of
the board forced to resign and a new one would take its place.

In spite of the fact that the effect of parole boards has been to
lengthen sentences, and in spite of my personal belief that they should
be materially shortened, I am confident that the parole system should be
maintained with the hope of improvement and the chance of gradually
educating the public until sentences can be naturally shortened, and the
care and control of prisoners be placed on a scientific and humane
basis.

A board of pardons and paroles should be made up of men who are really
interested in their work. They should carefully keep up with the
literature on crime and punishment; they should be scientists in all
matters touching their work, and they should be men of humane feelings.
It is too much to expect that all of this can be found in a board for a
long time to come, but with good sense and the right attitude of mind
the board could employ the skill that it does not now have. Every
prisoner should be the subject of attention, not of spying, but of
friendly interest that would inspire confidence and trust,--such an
interest as a wise doctor has in a patient. This attention would in most
cases gain the confidence of the p